First Tee: Bill Britton finding that excellence on the golf course doesn't stop at 50

TIM FARRELL/THE STAR-LEDGER Bill Britton, shown here at a tournament in 2005, is now 56 and found some new life on the senior circuit.

Twelve years ago when Bill Britton pulled his car into the players lot at the old B.C. Open, he had one thought running through his head: What am I doing here?

He was a steady tour player with a solid résumé, but fading prospects on the PGA Tour.

“I didn’t feel like I belonged anymore,” Britton recalled. “I didn’t feel like I was a part of it. Once I got on the grounds and saw some friends, I felt like I did belong. But if I went to play a regular tour event, I wouldn’t know anybody and socially, it wouldn’t be a whole lot of fun. I think that’s part of the issue: That as guys get older, it’s not as enjoyable as it was when you were younger.”

These days, Britton has found that for golfers, there is life after 50 on the professional golf circuit.

Even though he spends most of his days providing instruction or giving lessons to members and clients through his position of Director of Golf at Trump National-Colts Neck, Britton has hit another gear in his game recently. He was the low club professional at the Senior PGA Championship in May, a week after winning the New Jersey Senior Open and two weeks since he won the New Jersey Senior PGA Championship at his home course. That was a few days after taking home the $15,000 first-place prize money for being the low professional at the NJSGA Open Championship, despite finishing third behind two amateurs.

At 56, he’s feeling better than ever.

“I really didn’t think I’d be playing golf when I was 56,” Britton said. “I thought I was done a long time ago. I thought I was done when I stopped playing the tour and I started working and wasn’t eligible to play in the section. So for a couple of years, I didn’t play a whole lot of golf. I didn’t think I’d be playing very good or playing a whole lot.

“But the senior golf is fun. After you turn 50, there’s a whole lot of senior events available. Particularly to play in the Senior PGA was a lot of fun for me. I got to see guys who I’ve known for a long time. So socially, it’s really nice. And competitively, it’s really nice as well to play in a really good tournament.”

To those familiar with his career, Britton’s success as a quinquagenarian shouldn’t be a surprise. Before he moved over to Trump National-Colts Neck, he finished tied for 16th at the 2008 Senior PGA Championship. He won on the PGA Tour in 1989 and finished in the top 10 at The Masters and PGA Championship in 1990.

Hidden in the victories and well-played rounds this year, is a sense of urgency for Britton. He knows that at some point age will catch up to him and begin robbing him of the skills he’s enjoyed for most of his adult life.

“I’m getting older and time’s running out, so I’m making a little bit more of a conscious effort to pay more attention to playing,” he said. “Last summer my back acted up after I played in a tournament and I didn’t play for a month. So over the winter, I was feeling like: How many more years am I going to be able to play or play any good?”

He says that looming thought has spurred him on a bit to his incredible season this year. Enough to where he’s not thinking about hanging it up any time soon.

“I don’t think I will until I start playing poorly or for some reason I don’t enjoy it,” Britton said. “I still enjoy playing very much. When I do play, I enjoy it.”

At the annual Baltusrol Invitational held July 19-20, the team of Kevin King and Todd White from the Colleton River Plantation (S.C.), won with a four-shot victory, besting the team from Greensburg C.C. in Pa. and the G.C. of Georgia. The highest finishing New Jersey teams were the Desai team from Baltusrol (seventh); Brian Whitman-Jason Bataille (Knickerbocker C.C.) and Greg Stebbins-Andrew Biggadike (Essex County C.C.) placed in a tie for ninth. At the 91st NJSGA Junior and Boys Championships last week at Rumson C.C., Ryan Rose of Ridgewood C.C. took home the Junior title, defeating Keith Schuman from Alpine C.C., 3 & 2. In the Boys division, Robert Newhouse from Bayonne G.C. defeated Paolo Matti from Plainfield West Nine, 3 & 2 for the title. ... Three teams tied for medalist honors last Monday at Westlake G. & C.C. during qualifying for next month’s NJSGA Four-Ball Championship. Jerry Horton-Nick DiPietra (Forsgate), Marc Grinberg-John Lovett (Charleston Springs) and Mike Paduano-Kyle Ross (Colts Neck) all tied with 67s. ... At the NJ PGA Pro-President Championship Wednesday at Ridgewood C.C., the Apple Ridge C.C. team of Tom Flatt (pro) and Kevin Ormes (president) bested the Alpine C.C. team (Kevin Syring-John Margaritis) and Crestmont C.C. team (Bob Downey-Sam Gershwin) by a stroke, with a total score of 11-under.